Buttonhole attachment for sewing-machines



(Model.)

W. M. AMMERMAN. BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

Iva 611157",

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

\VILLIAM M. AMMERMAN, OF CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EDIVIN J.TOOF, OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

BUTTONHOLE ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,920, dated April28, 1896..

Application filed April 16, 1888. $erial No. 270,780. (ModeL) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. AMMER- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Charleston, county of Coles, State ofIllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in ButtonholeAttachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to buttonhole attachments adapted for use inconnection with sewing-machines; and it consists in the construction andcombination of the several parts forming the device in a manner and forthe purpose hereinafter set forth in detail, and pointed out in theclaims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side View of theattachment in position on the presser-bar; Fig. 2, a front end view ofthe same; Fig. 3, a bottom view; Fig. 4, a top view, and Figs. 5, 6, 7,8, 9, and 10 represent detached parts of the device.

A represents the frame for supporting the actuating mechanism, providedwith a bifurcated arm or extension A, projecting horizontally therefrom,or nearly so, for connection with the presse'r-bar of a sewing-machine.(More clearly shown in-Fig. 1.) The toe or end co of the said frame A isprovided with an opening therein for the needle to pass through when inoperation, and is also provided on its under side with a guideway a,extending transversely across the same, having undercut sides.

B is abell-erank lever pivotally secured atarm at its lower end c"ismade slightly hooking, (see Fig. 5,) which is adapted to project andoperate within a longitudinal slot 0 in the frame A.

D is aplate of a semicircular form, or nearly so, pivotally secured at dto the bottom of the frame A by a screw or other means d, and to whichis attached at each side thereof arms d (P, pivotally secured thereto.The said arms cl (1 are both provided on their inner sides withprojections 61 (1 adapted to span the said slot 0 in the frame A, theunder surfaces of which are inclined or slanting to enable the sameto'ride over each other when in operation, as will be explainedhereinafter.

E is a flat spring secured at one end by the said screw or rivet d andbearing with its free end on the said projections d 61 e e are two pinsor projections on the under side of the frame A, located one on eachside of the two arms (1 d serving to guide and prevent them fromspreading apart.

F is an adjustable throw-off consisting of a bar flanged at one side toembrace the edge of the frame A and provided with an arm having alongitudinal opening therein at the opposite end for the purpose ofadjustment, by a set-screw F, within depressions f f in the said arms 01d to alternately raise the said arms 01 d on their backward stroke tothrow the projection d from its contact with the pendent arm C, therebystopping the throw or vibration of the cloth-holder before the feedingmechanism comes in contact with the cloth on said cloth-holder.

G is a vibrating device or plate which is fitted in thetransverseguideway a. in the toe or forward end of the frame A in a manner toslide or vibrate therein and is provided with an opening H therein forthe passage of the needle. On its lower side and surrounding the openingH therein this said vibrating plate is provided with a circular taperingannular flange h, as more clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 10, forconnection with the cloth-holder J to operate the same, as will bedescribed. This vibrating plate or carrier G is provided with an arm orextension I, which projects betweentwo adjusting-screws "i 1', supportedby the rocking plate or lever D, as shown in Fig. 3, to be operated bythe latter, and the movement or length of vibration of the vibratingdevice is regulated by said engaging adjusting-screws, as will bereadily understood.

The cloth-holder J consists of a plate provided with a longitudinal slotK, having undercut sides to receive the tapering annular flange h, whichprojects from the under side of the vibrating carrier G. One end of thatportion of the slot which is undercut is open to allow the carrier to bereadily drawn off or on the flange 7b. The inner or opposite end of theslot is enlarged to form a circle, or nearlyso, as shown, to enable thecloth-holder J to be moved in the line of a circle when being turned forthe purpose of stitching the eyelet at the end of the buttonhole.

In order that the cloth-holder J may be guided in a circle, asdescribed, without the aid of the operator, I have formed a lip orprojection icon the uppersurface of the clothholder J at a central pointadjacent to the circular end of the slot K, as more clearly shown inFig. 4, which is adapted to enter a groove h, formed in the under sideof the vibrating carrier G, as shown in Figs. 8 and 10, and extending ina circle around the flange h through an opening in the front wall of thesame and be guided thereby until the cloth-holder J has made a completeturn, at which time the lip 76 passes out through the said opening inthe wall of the groove 0r guideway h and allows the cloth-holder to beagain moved in a straight line to allow the opposite side of thebuttonhole to be stitched.

In order to secure the cloth to the clothholder J, I provide two fixedpins m m, which project from one end of the same, and a pair of slidingpins n n, which are arranged to slide within the body of the plate atthe opposite end, so as to project or be withdrawn, as may be desired.

Having given details of a device such as will be deemed sufficient toenable others to construct an attachment embodying the principles of myinvention, I will now describe the operation of it by parts andentirety.

The frame A in the present instance is secured to the presser-bar of thesewing-machine parallel with the line of feed, and the bifurcated end ofthe lever Bis connected with the needle-bar, as described. The part ofthe material to be operated upon is now secured to the cloth -holder byinserting the fixed pins into the material at the desired point topresent the slot to be operated upon about central with the opening K.The material opposite the end already pinned is slightly raised enoughto receive the movable pins, which are pushed outwardly into thematerial, by which means the part is held in a smooth firm position forthe action of the feeddog against it beneath and the needle above. Thecloth-holder is then slipped over the tapering flange h at the open endof the undercut portion of the slot K, the slot lying parallel with theline of feed of the sewing-machine. The sewing-machine now being put inmotion the long or horizontal arm of the lever B is raised at the upwardstroke of the needle-bar, carrying forward the pendent arm 0, which isembraced by the flanges on the shorter arm of the lever B. The end ofthe arm 0 comes in contact with one of the proj ections d carrying thearm (1 forward,which pushes one of the adjusting-screws i 2' laterallyin contact with the arm I of the carrier G. At the downward stroke ofthe needlebar the end of the arm 0 is carried back in position forcontact with the opposite projection d which, when carried forward,causes the opposite adjusting-screw i (from the one referred to) tooperate upon the arm I of the carrier G in the opposite direction and bythe same means as the one previously described, which action of the saidtwo adj usting-screws on the arm I of the carrier G gives theclothholderJ its vibrating motion. The said clothholder is carriedforward by the direct action of the feeding device upon the clothsecured to its under side until the inner circular end of the opening Kis reached, when the lip k thereon enters the groove h in the carrier Gthrough the opening in the wall of the same and guides the cloth-holderwhen being turned to stitch the eyelet of the buttonhole until thecloth-holder has made a complete turn and the lip passes out through theopening in the wall of the groove to allow the cloth-holder to feedalong while the opposite side of the buttonhole is being stitched.

Having thus set forth my invention, I do not wish to be understood asconfining myself to the particular construction and arrangement of theseveral parts as set forth, as it is obvious that various slight changesmight be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

1. In a buttonhole attachment for sewingmachin'es, the combination witha supportingframe, a vibrating carrier provided with an annular flangeor projection and an annular groove or guideway, and means for operatingsaid carrier, of a cloth-holder provided with alongitudinal slot oropening therein adapted to receive the said annular flange orprojection, and with a lip or projection for traversing said annulargroove or guideway, sub stantially as described and for the purpose setforth.

2. In a buttonhole attachment for sewingmachines, the combination with asupportingframe, a vibrating device or carrier having a tapering annularflange projecting from its under side and an annular groove thereinsurrounding said flange and having a central opening in its front wall,and mechanism for operating said carrier; of a cloth-holderhaving alongitudinal slot therein formed with undercut sides to receive saidtapering flange, and provided with a lip or projection on its uppersurface adjacent to one end of said open- IIO ing, which is adapted toenter said annular groove through the opening in its wall and traversethe same to guide the cloth-holder, substantially as described and forthe purpose set forth.

3. In a buttonhole attachment for sewingmachines, the combination with asupportingframe, a vibrating device or carrier supported thereby and acloth-holder operated by said carrier, of a rocking or vibrating devicefor engaging with and operating said carrier, provided with two pivotedarms each having a lip or projection thereon, a lever for engaging withsaid lips or projections alternately to operate said arms and connectingdevice, and a throw-off device for engaging with said arms to move thesame alternately from engageforth.

WILLIAM M. AMMERMAN. Witnesses:

EDWARD S. SWIFT, J. T. TOOF.

